Stuck
by rainbowsandzombies
Summary: Ten friends find themselves in a sticky situation when Tails reveals him latest invention, an indistructable vault. Things quickly go downhill when Eggman sends in a spy to use this safe to his advantage. Rated T due to language and some possible intense scenes.
1. Begin

It had started just like any other day. Amy had been at home, her hair pulled up in a bun with a red ribbon, when she got the text. It was from Tails. "Guys, I have built what many be the turning point in our emerald feud! C'mon over to the garage at one to check it out, I need your opinions."

It was noon when Amy got this text. She wasn't the only one. In the group message was also Cream, Rouge, Blaze, Sally, Sonic, Knuckles, Silver, and surprisingly, Shadow. Did Tails really need the opinion of ten people? It must be a big project to him if he even wanted some of the more mysterious allies' opinions. Shadow had been back and forth since the start, and Silver and Blaze keep to themselves the majority of the time. Even Rouge, who was a great friend to Cream and Amy, had been with Eggman at one point, seeking power and emeralds.

Only today, Amy could tell something would be different. Tails and his inventions always managed to pull the group together in a way nothing else could. In forty minutes, Amy was on her way to the garage, Tails' workshop, in dark jeans, flip flops, and a red tank top to match the ribbon holding up her hair. With only her purse in hand, she made her way through the warm spring weather to the bus stop, where she hopped on the next bus to her destination.

By one, everybody but Shadow and Sally were there. They stood in the driveway of Tails' workshop, the younger yellow fox beaming in pride already. Soon enough Sally waltzed up and Shadow's motorcycle pulled into the drive.

Clicking the button to the door, Tails revealed his creation. A large, metal compartment sat in the middle of the garage, shining and bold. "What is it?" Sonic asked as he ran a hand over the flawlessly smooth surface.

"A vault. An unbreakable vault that can only be opened from the outside with a PIN number only I know. It can withstand anything," Seeing the questioning look on Knuckles face, Tails added, "Even you couldn't break open this bad-boy." Knuckles took up the challenge and stepped inside the vault, giving a swing. His fist met the wall in a crash that echoed in the air. Nothing. Not even a scratch had been made.

The rest of the group stepped inside, curious at the vaults large interior and emergency supplies. Except for one hedgehog who stood back, watching the others get lost in wonder and amazement. While they were running their hands along the walls and investigating, Shadow watched from outside, his eyebrows rising at Knuckles failed punch.

Amy glanced out at him. "Something wrong, Shadow?" She only caught a glimpse of what she interpreted to be guilt before he swing the vault closed on the nine peering friends. Amy froze, her mouth still frozen in an 'O' as the other seven turned to Tails, who stood by the door, flushed red.

"Shit!" Tails was never one to swear, but he found this to be the perfect time to start. "Shadow!" No answer. Tails turned around, his ears down flat. "I shouldn't have trusted him. Gah, that faker trapped us in here! We can't get out unless someone on the outside puts in the code."

Everyone was looking around the space, feeling as if they were in a dream. Tails busied himself pulling down the emergency kits as Cream whispered to him desperately. Sonic was fuming and Knuckles gave the wall another punch, even though it only hurt his hand. They heard Shadows motorcycle race out of the drive within a few moments. Amy looked at her phone. Maybe she could call someone to get them out. No reception, the thick walls had been made to let nothing in, not even a bar of data. Only one light brightened the center of the vault, causing shadows to flicker in the corners.

We stayed like this for three hours. Confused, secretive, and mad. Amy wasn't mad, just scared. She would never had admitted to it though, as Cream curled by her side and wept dearly for home. While rubbing the young rabbits back, Amy took an evaluation of the room for the first time. Some supplies, but not many, were being set in the far right corner by Tails. The room was probably 10 by 10 feet. Sure, it was a big place, but it was also filled with shelves and cabinets. Most of the shelves were cleared by now and Amy saw that it was the left wall that had all the storage.

After sorting the items, Tails looked over to Cream, curled up on Amy's arm. Silently, he took off his coat and picked up the rabbit, laying her down on a shelf and resting the coat over her. There were six of these shelves, each about a foot and a half high, leaving a foot high gap between the floor and the first shelf. The room was a perfect cube.

By then, Sonic and Tails began talking of rationing and getting help. Soon it became a group conversation, and everyone had a different say. Cream pretended not to hear and curled tighter around the blanket as the disagreements became clear. Amy watched as Rouge and Sally yelled back and forth over how to divide the space until she had reached her limit.

"Enough!" Amy pushed the two girls apart and looked around at the stunned others. She was always one to keep her cool, and this outburst surprised everyone, even herself. "If we are going to be trapped in here, we need to stay as one. I know you all have your own opinions, but you need to think about everyone else. We will work this out. We have stopped wars and defeated enemies together too many times to count. Are you really going to let a box change that bond?"

Everyone looked at each other, snapping into the reality of this situation. They were stuck. Whether they liked it or not, they had to work together.

"Amy is right," Silver stepped forward. "We need to face each issue as it comes. Until then, we just need to sit it out and hope for the best."


	2. Day One

"Amy is right," Silver stepped forward. "We need to face each issue as it comes. Until then, we just need to sit it out and hope for the best."

Suddenly, a flash filled the room, and there stood Shadow. He had a bag in his hands and tossed it to the stunned Tails. "Just thought I'd drop in to give you some sn-" He was cut off as Sonic pounced on his, hitting him square in the jaw and pulling the emerald out of Shadows hands. Sonic held it in the air, letting out a loud chaos control.

The room flashed again. Only, Sonic was still there, emerald in hand. "W-what?" He turned to Tails, "Why didn't that work?"

"I designed this safe to protect the emeralds. They can get in, but they cannot be zapped back out. They have to be physically removed before they can charge again." Tails set down the bag of goodies as Amy grabbed an instant ice pack and held it against Shadows jaw.

He growled and muttered, "Get the hell away from me," But as soon as Amy pulled back the pack, his face tightened in pain and she raised her eyebrow at him, "Fine." He leaned against the wall, sitting down as Amy help the pack to the wound.

Before long, Sonic was grabbing Shadow by the shoulders and pinning him to the wall, "This is your entire fucking fault!" Amy fell back, landing awkwardly on her wrist. Sonic looked down to see her, holding her wrist and sending him killer looks. "Shit. Sorry, Ames." He snarled one last time at Shadow before reaching down to help her up, but Amy only moved away, pushing herself further into the corner.

"Now look what you did." Shadow growled and knelled down, taking Amy's wrist and inspecting the wound. She looked at him, her green eyes full of hurt, and sighed before holding the pack up to Shadow's jaw.

The rest of the room watched in shock as Shadow wrapped her wound and stroked her hair. They didn't know about the moment Shadow and Amy had had on the Ark, and didn't know anything about the twos secret affections.

Tails turned to Cream, who was still curled up in the bed, only now she had really fallen asleep. "There goes our last resort of getting out of here. We need to form groups if we are going to cope. Each person should have someone to help them, or defend them, if worse comes to worst." He glanced around solemnly as they sorted themselves. Most of the groups were already near each other, an obvious pair. "Cream and I, Sonic and Sally, Knuckles and Rouge, Silver and Blaze, and Amy and Shadow." Once again eyes turned to the odd pair, huddled in the corner talking quietly, before finding a place to settle.

Blaze grabbed water from the pill and took a drink, sitting in the middle of the room with Silver. Tails leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, while Rouge and Knuckles discussed the "old days." Amy turned to Shadow and whispered, "You were really just going to leave us here?" When he nodded, Amy's cheek grew red in fury, "What did I do to deserve being stuck with an ignorant prick like you in this tiny cell? Why did you close us in in the first place?"

"I had to. Eggman found out about the gathering and made me go to trap you guys, I had no choice. He found a way to control me through the power of my bracelets. I didn't want this to happen. And if anyone is being ignorant, it is you. I came back because of the look I saw on your face when I closed that door. I couldn't bear it. I have had my eyes set on you since the Ark, keeping you out of danger and out of harm," Amy looked up at him, the anger replaced by shock. Shadow's cold red eyes shifted to a soft gaze and Amy tilted her head, questioning him without words as they sat in the corner, half hidden by the dark. "I am not lying, Amelia Rose. I have feelings for you that I haven't felt since my days with Maria."

Amy's face softened and she thought of all the times she had narrowly escaped death, the unexplained hero. Shadow was her dark knight. He had been helping her from the other side of the battlefield. She kissed his cheek, feeling him warm fur against her lips before standing to grab some food for the night. No-one else saw the little exchange in the corner as Shadow sat, stunned, his cool face broken.

Tails glanced at his watch before speaking. "Okay, I have sorted out the rations to last us at least ten days. Each group has a limit, and can only take so much off each pile. You can sort out sleeping arrangements however you please. The light goes out of a timer. It will turn off in an hour, at eight o'clock, and come back on at eight am." Everyone nodded to the terms and continued their own conversations as Amy grabbed a bottle of water and a ration bag to share with Shadow.

When she turned back, she paused to see Shadow lying down, his hands behind his head and his eyes closed in the dark. Amy walked over and set down the food, returning to her corner. Shadow's ruby eyes flashed open and he glanced at Amy, sipping at the water. She held it out to him, and he sat up to take a drink. Cream walked over with sleepy eyes to sit with Amy for a few minutes, curling up in her lap like she did with her mother. Amy stroked her soft ears and began to sing a quiet song. It wasn't long before the safe was silent, listening to Amy's gentle voice singing.

Once Cream was done listening, she went back to her shelf and rested back there. Blaze and Silver claimed the next shelf up and lay down together, whispering still. Sonic and Sally sat in the middle of the room, glaring at Shadow and exchanging opinions. Knuckles had pulled sleepy Rouge into his arms and lay down with her to rest.

Shadow wrapped his arms around Amy, ignoring Sonics' look of disgust, and pulled her close as she began to shiver. She turned in his arms and nuzzled her face into his neck. Shadow could feel the warm tears hit his fur and kissed her forehead. The lights shut off, and all was quiet in the chamber. Everyone had saved some food, putting it into their own piles to have when needed. Tails had set out some blankets, which had been used to cover the hard floor they slept on. That night, all was calm, and Shadow held Amy in his grasp, stroking her quills until she fell asleep in his arms.


	3. Day Two

Amy flinched when the lights came up and snuggled closer to Shadow's warm chest in protest to waking. This time, the whole room could hear Sonics' growl of hate boiling over. He pushed off the ground and was up in a flash second, closing his eyes tightly and throwing himself against the door.

"I need to run," He growled furiously, not daring to look at Shadow in fear of his sanity breaking. That was his rose. "I need to run!" Sonic began to pace the ten feet back and forth, pushing off each wall roughly. Everyone watched in shock as he sped up. By this point, everyone was up and looking at the raging hedgehog. His speed increased to a jog, then a run. Until he was a blur of blue in the center of the room and creating waves of wind that hit the walls and bounced back.

Blaze stepped forward to try and stop him, but Tails held her back. "He will only hurt you if you get close. Let him get it out of his system." Sally watched, her eyes disks, as Sonic bruised his arms pushing against the walls, confined in a space that made him feel trapped.

This continued for a few moments until Sally spoke, "Sonic. You need to stop this. You aren't going anywhere." She lowered her head, but he froze. He was panting, his arms scuffed and his eyes narrowed. Then he spun on his heel to face Amy and Shadow, the latter the focus of his eyes. Shadow stood in front of Amy, holding her back from her attempt to try and stop Sonic.

"If you ever lay hands on her again, I will personally rip you to pieces," Sonic stood, his face only inches away from Shadow's, fuming. Sonic knew something about Amy that no-one else did. Her green eyes widened as she realized why he was so angry.

"Sonic… I let him… It's okay… I'm fine…" Amy whispered from the corner. Sonic still glared at his 'faker' and snarled. In one quick movement he had Shadow pinned on the floor. He black hedgehog didn't even flinch as Sonic punched him in the chest. Knuckles stepped forward and pulled Sonic back while Amy grabbed Shadow's arm to help him up. He shrugged her off.

"Clearly, we are all missing something here. Amy, would you like to inform us?" Shadow looked over to the frightened girl who shook her head quickly. "Sonic, I did nothing to her. I understand she is close to you; we have talked about this before. She isn't a child and can make her own choices."

All eyes looked between the two males. They had talked about Amy before. Shadow had confessed his love for her to Sonic in hopes of earning approval from her brother figure, but all he had earned was a black eye. Sonic looked away and shook his head. "Fine. You can make your own choice, Ames. Just tell me if he ever hurts you. I'm not giving up this easily."

Amy looked between the two hedgehogs and then at the floor. Cream walked over to comfort her friend, but Amy jumped back at the touch and curled up in her corner, crying silently. Sonic turned to talk to Sally and Shadow walked over to her. "Rose, what are you hiding?" He asked quietly.

"Amy. You can call me Amy." She replied, unfolding herself to stand and wrap her arms around him. "You would never hurt me, right, Shadow?"

He sighed before wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her cheek. "Never, I even made Eggman promise he would let you live if it came to that. I know you are scared and don't trust me yet. That's okay; I will wait for you to be ready." Shadow let her go and sat her back down before walking over to grab their morning ration bag. After setting down the food, Shadow looked up to see Sonic watching him.

"I am sorry. I promise you, I will treat her like the princess she is. I just need you to give me the chance. Let her choose her own fate." Shadow muttered quietly to Sonic before returning to Amy, who was nibbling a saltine cracker. "You know, we have plenty of food. No need to eat so slowly." He whispered to her as he sat down.

Amy had the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, shivering as she ate. "I don't eat much in the first place. Just not hungry," She closed the bag and pushed it back into the pile. "I'm freezing…" She had a right to be. The room had gotten to be noticeably cooler, and Silver glanced around the room, thinking of ways to solve this issue.

They spend most of the day in quiet, a comfortable silence in the air. Some talked to each other, but most stayed with their partner and cuddled up in a bundle of blankets and jackets. At seven pm, Silver finally spoke up.

"Wouldn't it be warmer if we all slept in the same area?" And with that, it was decided. A few blankets were used to cover the cold metal floor, leaving four blankets to cover up with and one that Rouge rolled into a long, cozy pillow. Within thirty minutes they had figured out how they were going to sleep. The pairs stayed together, Cream and Tails were placed in the middle, and then on either side of them was Sonic and Sally followed by Shadow and Amy, and Silver and Blaze followed by Knuckles and Rouge. Before long, it was seven forty and Tails was curled next to Cream, his tails wrapped around her to keep her cozy and feeling safe. Everyone but Amy and Shadow, who were pulling up the blankets over the group from each side, were in the bed before Cream's whisper was heard.

"Amy… can you sing again?" Amy nodded, knowing how homesick Cream got when away from her mother. Shadow laid down after pulling up the last blanket and once again everyone listened to Amy's soft voice singing sad and beautiful songs until Tails gave the three minute warning and she cuddled up to Shadow, spooning with his arm holding her closely.

Silver had been right. That night was warm, and Sonic smiled at sleeping Amy from over Sally's shoulder before nodding to Shadow that all was settled for now. Amy muttered in her sleep, and more than once Shadow heard his name in the whispers. Soon enough everyone was asleep, breathing in sync and lying close enough to feel each other's body heat.

**Thank you for reading and reviewing! All characters belong to Sega, of course. **


	4. Day Three

When the lights flickered on again, everyone lay still for a few more moments, not wanting to leave the warmth. Tails was the first to rise, grabbing his ration bag and setting it by Cream as she stirred. Everyone soon followed suit, detangling themselves from the others and adding to their piles. Everyone ate in silence, enjoying a soda that had been given today from Shadow's bag of goodies. Amy sipped at the fizzy lemon-lime, which was cool from the temperature of the room, and nibbled at some cereal.

Sally used an instant cold packet to hold against Sonics arms, inspecting the dark bruises. Soon enough Cream was at her side; using the skills she had learned from her mother to mend his wounds.

Shadow sat with Amy, giving her his jacket to stop the shivers. Amy whispered, "Shadow… you said Eggman had this whole thing plotted out… why hasn't he come to take us yet?" She looked back at him as him eyes turned cold.

"He said he would come after a few days of you being trapped so everyone would be weak and easy to capture," He wrapped his arms around her waist before continuing, "I made him swear not to hurt you. He agreed on one condition. I had to give him power to access the rings and hurt me if he thought it needed. That's why I had to close you all in." Amy looked down at the shining gold bracelets that Shadow and Sonic always wore.

"He plans to destroy you. Turn your group into slaves and pets. Use you to his advantage." Shadow wiped a tear away from Amy's eye as she thought of the pain her friends had in store.

The moment was interrupted soon enough. Knuckles had been listening silently, and Rouge had her ears perked up to tune into their conversation. "Why didn't you share this earlier?" Knuckles turned to look at Shadow, "If you want us to trust you, you need to tell us what you know. Not just Amy."

Shadow shook his head and stood up, "I was going to tell you all earlier, but what's the point. We are defenseless. I will try to help you once we get there, but until then, there is nothing we can do to stop Eggman's plan." By now the whole group watched and looked to each other, debating if they should trust the shifty black and red hedgehog.

Before anyone could say anything more, Amy had flung herself around Shadow, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist in terror. She screamed and stared into the corner of the room. Shadow gently wrapped his arms around her to support her before looking into the corner and laughing. There, in the high corner of the room, was a large spider sitting in a silky web. Amy whimpered a protest as Shadow grabbed the bug and put it into an empty water bottle. "There. Now it can't hurt you." The gang smiled and laughed off the previous tension, returning to their normal spots or the bed. Shadow walked to their corner and stood facing the wall so Amy was leaning against it in his arms.

Then, with his hands holding her tightly, he kissed her. Amy closed her eyes and relaxed, enjoying the safe feeling of his lips on hers. Rouge giggled quietly at the young couple and looked away, letting them have their moment. After a few moments that seemed to last forever, Amy pulled away and rested her forehead against his, her green eyes glowing in affection. Shadow gazed back at her, wondering how such a beautiful rose had fallen for him.

Amy stayed in his arms for a moment longer, kissing his cheek before removing herself from him and returning to the height she usually stood at, her eyes level with his lips. Then she walked away coolly, her heart still racing, to check up on Cream. Shadow risked a glance around the room, earning a wink and a smile from Rouge, who was genuinely happy for her friend.

Little did they know, Eggman would be taking the safe in 24 hours while Vanilla, Cheese, Vector, Charmy, Espio, and even Tikal hunted for their missing friends.

By three, everyone was pretty much brain fried, their muscles aching from lack of exercise. Amy and Blaze sat next to each other, watching the spider crawl around the water bottle and trying to pick a name for it. Eventually they settled on Omega. Shadow, Sonic, and Silver had been talking strategy most of the afternoon, but now sat again the wall, watching Cream and Tails play tic-tac-toe with some pretzel sticks and cereal. Rouge and Knuckles stood with Sally, exchanging stories and laughing at the others.

The evening went by in a cycle of games, snacking, talking, and doing nothing. Soon enough it was dinner time and everyone sat by their partner to enjoy some food. In today's ration bag, Amy was happy to find a can of pineapples. It was the kind with the tab to open it, so she peeled off the lid and ate the sweet fruit, sipping at the leftover juice when she was done. Shadow just settled on a bag of chips and watched Amy struggle to pick up the fruit circles, chuckling quietly.

"Stop laughing at me!" She growled jokingly and flicked some pineapple juice at him. Amy blushed to see Silver, too, chuckling at the odd couple. She quickly looked away and scooted closer to her corner.

Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a pack of gum and popped at piece in her mouth. She made sure to ask if anyone else wanted any, but they all declined, not wanting the minty flavor while they were still eating. Putting her bag back on the pile, she looked over to Shadow. He was sitting with his eyes closed against the wall, almost in the very corner. His legs were stretched out, and his arms folded over his broad chest.

Amy smiled at the thought before sitting over him, her legs on either side of his. "Hey, Shadow," She giggled as he smiled, not even opening his eyes. Amy peeked his cheek and he cracked open an eye to look at her. "How's it going?"

"Well, considering I got my only friends and my Rose stuck in this box, I guess I should be glad you didn't let them kill me," Shadow raised an eyebrow, waiting to see if Amy had a comeback for that before continuing, "I am going to keep you safe, my Rose, but if they get hurt, it will be all my fault for letting him get to me and-"

Shadow was cut off as Amy put her lips on his, muttering a quiet, "Shut up." They stayed lip-locked, and when they weren't, they were an inch away from each other trying to catch their breath. Shadow placed his hands on her waist and pulled her close, feeling her skin heat up, blushing. Tails gave the ten minute call, and everyone began to mingle out again, stretching and talking before lights out. Only then did Rouge kick Shadow's side in warning to stop. He sighed, but let Amy go. She stood and walked over to Sally, who immediately asked for details on the time in the corner with Shadow. Amy blushed brighter and shrugged it off.

They all curled up in the same order on the blanket, only closer together. They would have said it was to fight the cold, but at this point, it just felt good to know they weren't alone. The lights flicked off after Amy sang her lullaby, and the group cuddled up to sleep.


	5. Day Four

Amy woke to the feeling of Shadow's arms around her waist and Sally's soft breathing on her forehead. The lights weren't on yet, and she stayed curled up, counting Sally's breath and Shadow's heartbeat to lull her back to sleep. When the lights flickered on, the whole group remained still a while longer, some whimpering against the light, others cuddling closer and pulling a blanket over there head. It was even colder than it had been previously. Knuckles was the first to rise, gently letting go of Rouge and standing to grab their bag for the day. The rest was the men followed suit, adding the bag to their piles. Meanwhile, the girls curled up closer, Amy, Sally, Cream, Blaze, and Rouge became a mix of softly breathing, shivering fur.

Tails stroked Cream's ears as she feel back into slumber. "So, today's the big day, huh?" His young voice was somber and slow, facing the reality of the situation.

"It should be. Let's hope. If this place gets any colder, we are going to freeze," Shadow shook his head, pulling his jacket tighter around him and watching the girls. "Eggman never said exactly how long he wanted to wait. Just long enough to wear you out. Easier targets that way."

Their dear friends outside the safe were still on the search, although they had checked out Tails' garage already. Espio had come in to glance around for the gang, unable to hear anything over his headphones. Vanilla was at a loss and could hardly keep herself together. The team's only hope at this point was being taken to Eggman and whatever plan he had set up.

Blaze stirred, slowly untangling herself from Rouge and Cream, to grab something to eat. The others followed suit, grabbing something to nibble on while they sat on the blankets in a circle. They didn't need to talk; once again just seeing that someone was there was enough for the members of the group. Unlike the previous day of fun and games, they were solemn and quiet, waiting for something to happen.

But nothing did, and soon enough, they were sitting in complete silence. Sonic's head rested in Sally's lap, Tails had wrapped himself around Cream, Blaze and Silver sat together holding hands, Rouge and Knuckles sat leaning against each other's backs, and Shadow held Amy in his lap.

Every second went by painfully slow. Each person made an attempt to animate the room once more, but the cold and tired limbs always stopped them before they could succeed. Sonic would stretch out his limbs, cracking his joints, unsettled, only to curl up once more, facing the fact that there was nowhere to go.

Knuckles became just as restless, punching the wall and sending out loud echoes in the safe until Cream asked him to stop. It hurt his fists to the point where they were cracked and bloody from scraps, but it felt good to practice after being stuck so long. Rouge sighed and wrapped his hands, flexing her wings to work her muscles out of their slumber.

Shadow could tell Eggman's plan was working. They were all weak and vulnerable. Only Shadow had never thought he would be in here with them. He didn't even know whose side to be on anymore, or how he would react when Eggman opened the safe and revealed his master plan.

Amy could tell he was thinking. He closed his eyes and his breathing changed to a slower pattern, only a hint faster than sleeping breath. She nuzzled closer to him, burying her face in his neck and holding him. Shadow's eyes opened for a moment to glance down at the shy hedgehog before he pulled her closer.

Though they had had very little contact since, the Ark had given them both feelings for the other. Amy had pushed it away, trying to convince herself it was due to his similarities to Sonic. Shadow had tried to ignore the feelings, but he felt them every time he saw her again.

The room stayed quiet for the next few hours, restless bodies too tired to make noise. It was almost lights out when Rouge picked up a noise from outside. Her ears flew up and she stood, pressed against the wall. It was the sound of a machine. Along with the unmistakable laugh of Eggman. She growled quietly and told the others what she had heard. They were getting picked up soon.

Cream huddled into her shelf as the noise of robots could be heard around the safe and everyone stayed still, hardly daring to breathe, until they felt the jerk of the safe being lifted into the air. Sally let out a cry and grabbed onto Sonic as they were rising. Eggman had opened the roof of Tails' garage, making an easy path to get out the safe.

Most of the day went by in the air, Knuckles gripped his stomach, hating being away from the land. By the time the lights flickered out, they were just being set down. After another hour of waiting, posed for attack, the gang eventually decided to take shifts. If anyone saw something, they would alert the others. Even Shadow consented to this.

They spend the rest of the night like that, each partnership taking its own turn to watch the door and switching off to snuggle up in the warmth of the bed. They didn't even sleep in their group half the time, curling up wherever there was an open space and immediately falling asleep. The quiet snores were a comfort to the next nervous group on watch.

During their watch, Shadow watched the door as Amy watched him, trying to decode what he had been thinking about earlier. Only, the kind rose hated the thought of him betraying the group, so eventually she pushed away the thoughts and watched the door.

Each group went twice over the course of the next twelve hours, switching every time Tails' watch beeped on the hour. Knuckles' group and Silver's group went three times to make up for the extra two hours, volunteering to guard their friends. It was a restless night, everyone sleeping lightly and jumping at every sound. Shadow would hold Amy close, whispering words of comfort to her until she drifted off and then wondering how he was going to go through with this.

**I am zooming through this story so here is an early update! Thank you for reading and reviewing, it keeps me motivated! Stay tuned for more of this and another chapter onto my other story soon.**


	6. Day Five

It was the last shift, nine o'clock, when Silver and Blaze alerted the others, who were still trying to rest up in the fluorescent light. The group feel silent as robots could be heard marching toward them. After a few minutes, they heard the booming voice of Eggman from the other side of the door.

"This will go by quicker and easier if you give me the code now rather than later, Miles." Eggman addressed Tails by his real now for added effect. No-one ever called him Miles anymore. Not even Sonic. It hit an emotion cord for him. Only his parents had ever called him that. You could see the nostalgia flash over his face before anger took its place. However, Cream was the one to step forward.

"If you think you can get us this easily, you are not thinking clearly! You are a jerk and you can't even leave us alone all because of your desire for the emeralds! Get over yourself!" Jaws dropped as she flushed red and shook her fist in frustration.

Eggman's chuckle could be heard faintly from the other side. "Very well, hard way it is." The marching of the robots was heard again as they left the room. Eggman stayed in his hovercraft by the door a moment longer. "I will be back for you soon." Then he, too, could be heard zooming away. Tails stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Creams waist, holding her tightly and whispering how much he loved her and how everything would be okay in the end.

Rouge, Knuckles, Silver, and Blaze were having a hushed conversation about the possible size of the army and types of bots he would be using. Sonic, Sally, and Shadow were discussing what they each suspected Eggman would use to get the code out of them and what he would do after the safe was opened. Amy grabbed her ration bag and curled up in the corner, sipping on a bottle of cool water. The room was cold enough that the water had the brisk taste of the cold air infused with it.

After about ten minutes, Sally walked over to join Amy, sitting close enough to share warmth. She had been able to see Amy trembling from the other side of the safe. "Want a blanket?" Sally's friendly instincts began to show. Amy looked up at her, peering at her with those unforgettably green eyes. She shook her head before resting it on her knees once again. Sally saw through the act and could tell the pink hedgehog was only trying to hide her weaknesses. The chipmunk moved closer, not saying anything because she knew how it felt to feel worthless.

Meanwhile, Amy's mind turned and her body trembled until Sally's fur began to warm her. Amy couldn't deny the feeling of not belonging in this group. She felt just how Sally had assumed, worthless. Just a hedgehog in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then again, everyone in the safe was. Such a large variety of creatures bonded by memories and friendships.

Sally let out a sigh, looking at the nostalgic look Amy had on. The safe settled and soon enough it was just Shadow, Sonic, and Tails left talking, while Blaze comforted Cream and the others relaxed. Sally ignored the odd looks the others gave her as she let Amy lean against her. Amy hummed quietly to herself, comforting Sally as well.

Only half an hour went by before they felt it again. The sensation of being lifted into the air took the three standing hedgehogs by surprise. Eggman was moving them to a more convenient location, probably. There was a loud thump and a bit of jostling when they were dropped. Cream grabbed her stomach as the safe continued to sway.

"We're suspended… by what?" Knuckles mumbled, just loud enough for the others to hear his thought. Eggman's voice rang around them.

"Just tell me when you are ready to give the code; it shouldn't be too long now." He laughed as something squealed beneath them. They all had the common sense to know he was opening the sealed top to a covered area. The information they lacked was what that area held. It took a good fifteen minutes of silence and stillness until Rouge narrowed her eyes. She mumbled something no-one else caught before repeating herself.

"It's not cold anymore. The safe is back to normal temperature and I can hear a… bubbling sort of sound," Rouge pressed her hands to the floor as everyone stood up, watching. "Lava! He put us over lava!"

"Good job, Rouge. Always were a sharp one, you." Eggman's voice was unsettlingly calm, almost tranquil. Heads once again turned to Tails for answers.

"The safe can survive lava, as can chaos emeralds, which were what I had planned to store in here. However, we are a different story. If the safe gets into lava, it will feel like we are in an oven. It won't even have to touch the lava before the floor and walls start to absorb then radiate heat." Tails pressed his lips together and looked around at the group. "I can give him the code now, rather than later, you know." He looked at Sonic specifically as he said this.

Sonic's fists curled. As much as he hated giving in to Eggman, it seemed like the logical choice. He gave a firm nod to Tails, not making eye contact with anyone but the fox. As Tails began to recite the long list of numbers he had randomly generated and spent days memorizing, the floor began to burn, as foreseen earlier. Amy had sat back down in her corner after a few minutes, and when she looked to see if her legs were starting to get warm, they were already burning up. She jumped up; suddenly awake of the burning of her outer thighs.

Shadow scooped her up and set her in the middle shelf, which he could reach easily, so he could put some ointment on her burns. Sonic hoisted up Cream to the top shelf, than Blaze and Sally. Rouge stood, knowing she could fly up if the floor began to burn her. Tails finished giving the code, and beeps could be heard as Eggman put it into the panel.

The safe door creaked open to reveal a large room of mostly metal, underneath then was indeed a pool of lava that Eggman closed with a button on his hovercraft. "Ah, Shadow, good to see you again. I was wondering where you had gotten off to." The black and red hedgehog snarled quietly as he continued to tend Amy's burns. Eggman snapped his fingers and a hover panel floated over to the safe. "You and your Rose can go, your work is done, and you may have her, as I promised. As for the rest of you, you will be separated and sent to your own chambers." Shadow lifted Amy and walked onto the panel, exchanging a nod with Sonic, who gave him his signature wink.

Amy mumbled quiet words of protest as she was carried away from her friends and out of the large metal room, down a long hallway, and into a smaller chamber. Shadow set her down on a king sized bed, being cautious not to touch the burns. "Don't worry, Rose. Just relax, Sonic and I have plans. I will not let Eggman get away with his act unscathed." Amy said something about calling her by her name before Shadow walked across the room to a cabinet, grabbing some remedies for the burns and two bracelets. They were similar to his gold rings, only silver and thinner.

"These will work like mine, or at least, that's what he thinks. They can't hurt you, I made him promise me that, but they will have other effects. It's like an invisible fence collar, if you go somewhere you aren't supposed to go, he will be alerted. I am supposed to watch over you. I needed the comfort of knowing you wouldn't be in his hands. I have done everything I can to make sure he can't get to you. I won't let you die in vain like… like Maria." Shadow stood and turned his back to her after slipping on her rings. "I will not make that mistake again. Not with you. Not with anyone I love."

Without making any noise, Amy was behind him, her arms around his waist. She ignored the searing pain in her legs, focusing on the feeling of her arms around him. Shadow let out a sigh and turned in her arms, picking her up and laying her back down against the bed. "We will see the others tomorrow. Get some rest, Ames." Shadow rubbed her back until she fell into a heavily, well deserved sleep before standing by the monitors on one wall of the room and starting his watch over the 'captives' and Eggman.


	7. Day Six

Amy stretched out her arms and let out a quiet moan as her joints relaxed once again. Turning her head to the colder side of the pillow, she saw Shadow standing in front of a large monitor display. Sitting up slowly, Amy looked down to see that her legs weren't as bad. The pain was only there when she touched the burns. Shadow's ear twitched before he looked over his shoulder at her. The lack of sleep didn't seem to have an effect on him anymore, after spending so many nights awake.

"Ah, you're awake. Good. Now we can go check on the others," Shadow sighed when he saw Amy's face light up. "This isn't going to be easy for you. They are being held captive, remember. If you make one wrong move, it will be my job to punish you however Eggman says. We have to be careful about this." Amy rang her fingers over the silver rings as he spoke then nodded reluctantly, taking some fresh clothes he offered and going into the bathroom. When she came out, she wore a dark pink dress with no sleeves and a perfect fit to her curves. Shadow opened his mouth to make a comment, but decided against it when he saw her blushing.

Shadow took her arm and linked it with his, leading her out. They once again walked down the long hallway and went down a set of stairs this time. As they rounded the corner, the first thing Amy saw was the guard bots. There was one at every cell, guns loaded and ready. Their eyes flashed red, but they returned to their frozen state when they saw Shadow.

Shadow pulled her along, keeping her close to him. He had changed out of his everyday jeans and tee into a fancy sort of suit. It was black with red and white highlights and went perfectly with Amy's sleek dress. They looked like a picture perfect royal couple.

Amy's hand shot up to her mouth when she saw Cream in her cell. The cold iron bars separated the two best friends, and Amy felt her heart shatter at the sound of Cream's whimpering. Amy stroked the bunny's ears to comfort her, bending down in her tight dress. Shadow walked on to the end of the hall, stopping at the last cell that belonged to Sonic. As they plotted, Amy curled up against the bars next to Cream, sharing warmth with her in the cold and damp cells. Tails was across of her. It seemed the Eggman had decided that the worst punishment was setting the partners to a set where they could see each other, but not reach. All the cells were set this way, and Shadow stood in between the cells of Sally and Sonic, speaking in a low voice and using gestures Amy didn't understand.

Knuckles could be heard slamming his fists against the wall to no avail. All but Sonic were free to roam in their cells, the latter was chained to a weight of fifty pounds of the ankle. Eggman was taking no risks with his prize captive. Silver and Blaze appeared to be meditating, sitting very calmly on their cell floors with their eyes closed and taking deep breaths.

Amy stood, letting Cream have her rest, to join Shadow at the end of the cells. Rouge gave a joking whistle as she walked by, earning a look from one of the guards. Amy wrapped her arm back through his, casting a sad glance at her trapped friends. Of course, they were all trapped in a way. Even Shadow was being held by Eggman. Looking down at Amy, Shadow nodded to Sonic and led her back out and up the stairs.

"Why are we leaving?" She whispered, casting a look back at the robots. Shadow sighed before answering.

"Eggman will become nosy if we are seen with them for too long. We can't risk getting on the other side of this; we will end up useless in a cell. We need to keep him convinced that you are not going to act out." Shadow lowered his voice as he spoke, but kept his head high. He was almost intimidating in his posture and act. Amy nodded slightly and held his arm tighter as they approached the end of the hall.

Once in Shadow's room, they found a note on the door. An invitation to dinner, with none other than Eggman. Not really as much an invitation as a demand. Amy bit her lip as she read the letter and watched as Shadow's face darkened. When he saw Amy, he tried to smile to perk her up, but she was not convinced it. She could tell by his eyes that he was worried. Maybe more for her than anyone else. Amy could say anything because he beat her to it.

"I am sorry I got you in to this. It's the only way I could save you. I just thought that maybe I could earn your heart if I saved you. That maybe I would have a chance with you. Even if you hate me, at least you will be unharmed, even if you have to stay with me, here-." He was cut off when Amy threw her arms around his neck and held him. Shadow set his hands on her hips and pulled her closer. Amy moved one hand to his cheek as she pulled back to look in his crimson eyes. He had no idea how much it meant to her that he had tried to help her as much as possible.

Amy offered a smile and blushed when he kissed her again. Shadow knew what she had meant by the kiss. The pink hedgehog was even more beautiful when she blushed, her dark pink fur matching her dress and bringing out her emerald eyes. The evening couldn't seem to come fast enough, and Amy and Shadow used the time to stay in each other's arms.

A warm tear made its way down her cheek as Amy sat curled up on the floor. Shadow was watching the others on his screens, but immediately walked over when he noticed her move from the bed to the floor. He put a finger under her chin and lifted her head to look into her eyes. An unspoken promise was made, and Shadow kissed her forehead to seal it. He would keep her safe, and it would be okay.

Beeping was heard over the intercoms and then a message, "Come, my friends! Let us celebrate with a feast!" Eggman could be heard laughing before another beep sounded and the intercom was silent once again. Shadow stood, holding a hand out to Amy. She stood and wrapped her arm through his as they had before.

The halls were cold in both emotional and physical senses. Amy felt shivers run down her spine as she looked down the long metal paths. It took them a few minutes to reach their destination. A room with a long, rectangular table covered in foods, robots skating across the floor to place and remove plates. Eggman sat at one end of the table. At the other end, was Sonic, still chained to the weight, with robots on either side of him. The whole gang was there, sitting stiffly in their chairs with guards hovering behind them.

Amy's sadness showed as Shadow walked her to the opposite side, pulling out a chair for her before sitting down between her and Eggman. Among the others there were Scourge, Metal Sonic, and a collection of Eggman's helpers and spies. Rouge was the only member of the friends who didn't have guards behind her. It seemed Eggman had decided to try to get back on the bat's good side.

A long, red velvet cover was on the table, and the dishes were silver and extremely detailed. Amy seemed to shrink in her seat as Shadow wore his cold stare and Eggman stood to speak. "Welcome, one and all, to my celebration. As all of you know, tomorrow I will be auctioning off and or recruiting the Freedom Fighters. Amy Rose is an exception, for our loyal Shadow as already claimed her. Sonic will be my personal servant. The rest will be scattered across to help us take back what is rightfully ours!" The robots clapped. Scourge smirked at Shadow, who growled quietly to the strange green hedgehog. Amy felt Shadow place his hand on her thigh. He stayed like that for the whole dinner and hardly ate, watching Scourge from across the table.

The dinner couldn't go by quick enough. Once an hour had passed, the 'good' half of the table was scuffled back out to their cells. At least Eggman was letting them eat something. They all looked so weary. Amy stole a glance at Shadow, who looked both horrifying and flawless in his suit with the practiced look that sent shivers down spines. She remained silent as the rest chatted, most of them ignoring her. Only Scourge, Shadow, and Eggman looked at her at any point. Scourge had his head resting on his folded hands, glancing at Amy every few minutes. Shadow stayed straight-backed, but sent her a cautious look every once in a while. Eggman looked at the rose hedgehog when he talked to Shadow, but never actually acknowledged her. He only spoke to the others, even to Shadow about how she was 'behaving' while she sat right there.

When they stood to leave, Shadow once again took her arm and she could still feel the light warmth of his hand on her thigh from the dinner. She walked calmly down the cool hallways that seemed even colder after being in the velvety dining hall. Amy let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding when they reached Shadow's room.

Shadow grabbed her some pajamas, a pair of shorts and one of his white shirts, so she could get cozy. He takes off everything but boxers and a black shirt just like the white one he had given Amy. Unlike last night, he planned on sleeping tonight. He had found that the sound of Amy's breathing helped soothe him last night. Amy curled in to bed, not up to speaking at the time. Shadow lay down on the other side of the bed and got comfortable as he listened to the deep, slow sound of Amy dreaming next to him. Soon enough, he too was asleep.


	8. Day Seven

Amy's eyes fluttered open reluctantly. She heard the beating of a heart. The heart that belonged to the person she was laying with, Shadow. She had her arms around him and her head resting on his chest. Shadow's arm was behind her neck, his thumb stroking her hair softly. She looked up at him, blushing at how she must have moved to him in her sleep. "Why didn't you wake me?" Her quiet morning voice surprised him.

"You were so peaceful. I didn't want to bother you, and you seemed comfortable with me as your pillow." Shadow smirked at her then kissed her forehead. "You should go shower, we have a long day ahead of us." Amy nodded and entangled herself from him.

Once she had taken a warm shower to relax herself, she found her clothes strewn out on the bed. She wrapped up in a towel to grab them. It was the outfit she had arrived in, her tank top and jeans, only they were freshly washed. Amy grabbed her clothes and ignored the look from Shadow at her in only a towel. Her hair was slicked down her back, still dripping, when she turned around and went back into the bathroom to get dressed.

The hedgehog had never felt more comfortable in her bland clothes. She tried to dry her hair with the towel, but it still stayed down only stopping the dripping. She pulled on her perfect fit jeans and top, walking out of the bathroom barefoot to hand the towel to Shadow, who was standing by the monitors. For a few moments, she thought he was going to ignore their wakeup that morning, but he set down the towel and pulled her into his arms, enjoying her fresh scent and cool body. Amy felt him put his hands on her hips and took and step back to look at him.

Ruby eyes blazed as he kissed her nose softly. "We have to go meet the others soon." Shadow's rough morning voice broke their trance. Amy nodded slightly in acknowledgment before wrapping her arms back around his neck and nuzzling into his fur. He had become familiar to her and she felt at home nuzzled up to him. His smell and feel and voice were engraved into the front of her mind. She had never felt this way about Sonic, back in her days of obsession over him. That's just what it was. Obsession, maybe love, but not in the way she was starting to love Shadow, only a sibling sort of love.

"How long is soon?" Amy whispered, not moving from him as she did before. He responded that they had fifteen minutes. "That's long enough." They stood like that for the whole wait, Shadow's arms around her waist and her arms around his shoulders, feeling perfectly at home. Shadow rocked her back and forth, kissing her temple every few seconds, feeling as if in a dream.

The intercom buzzed loudly, snapping the two hedgehogs out of their daze. As they walked to what was known as the Auction Room, the others were being prepared. Dressed up in outfits that showed things they were skilled at, Tails in overalls with tools in his pockets, Knuckles in spiked armor, Cream in a rather showy apron, Rouge in hardly anything with diamonds around her neck. They all were furious, but knew better than to object. Sonic had learned that the hard way, and the red lines were still visible on his face from where the cat worker had scrapped her claws.

That was behind the door; in front was a glass surrounded runway, seats on both sides with Eggman and his army in them. Amy clung close to Shadow as he sat down with her next to him. Everyone was allowed to claim one of the hedgehogs. A flashing screen was in front of each person, where they could write their bids. The room was dark, and Amy jumped when the door in the glass opened. Shadow's screen was off. Amy counted as his, seeing as he had chosen her at a price of his freedom.

Amy held tightly to Shadow until the curtain opened. All her friends were led through to clear room, most being pulled by a guard, some denying the tugs. Amy watched as the surrounding people put in numbers, outbidding each other and laughing at their own remarks like it was a game to them.

After what felt like forever to Amy, Shadow stood, taking her with him and leading her to another room. It was large, like a ballroom. Her friends were lined up in the center of the room, being claimed by their owners or guards. Sonic stood in the middle, growling whenever they approached his friends.

Amy screamed without meaning to at the sight of her friends beyond her help. Shadow froze for a millisecond before grabbing her by the wrists to hold her back. Amy pulled on instinct, but stopped when she realized it would only be worse if she started something. Rouge gave her a slight nod, as if to say it was going to be okay, before returning her gaze to the ground. Amy let the tears fall, turning in Shadow's hands before falling to the ground and putting her hands over her face. He lifted her up as gently as he could and held her in his arms. He couldn't leave. Eggman and his bots wouldn't allow it.

So he waited. He waited until the group was separated to their new keepers until Sonic was the only one left. Shadow knew what was going to happen next, but the others didn't as they walked out of the large room. It all felt like a nightmare to Amy. Everything was moving too quickly to be real, but it continued on. Soon enough, it was quiet and only four were left in the room. Even the bots marched out and closed the doors. Eggman didn't show emotion, but Sonic held back none of his fury. He yanked the chains until he bled and he shouted every horrid word he knew at the doctor. Shadow picked up the still crying Amy, who has weak from her sobbing, and began to walk out.

Before he left the room, he glanced back at Sonic, who stopped his struggling for half a second to nod at his black-and-red copy.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! I have been super busy and stressed. Please review, it gives me motivation! c: Have a lovely week! Character rights go to Sega, as always. **


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